Upendra Rai case: CBI arrests Civil Aviation employee, Air One CMD

New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) The CBI has arrested a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) official and the Chairman and Managing Director of aviation firm Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd in connection with its ongoing probe into a money laundering case against senior journalist Upendra Rai, the agency said on Thursday.

Rahul Rathore, the BCAS official, and Alok Sharma, CMD of Air One aviation, were arrested after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials found their involvement in the commission of crime committed by Rai, currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

A CBI official said that the two arrested persons were earlier questioned by the investigators.

Owner of Printlines Media Group and formerly employed with Tehelka, Rai was arrested by the CBI on May 3 for dubious transactions of over Rs 100 crore in his bank accounts during 2017-18 and for using false information to obtain access to sensitive areas through Aerodrome Entry Pass (AEP) for all airports in the country.

In its case filed on May 1, the CBI named Rai, Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd, its Chief Security Officer Prasun Roy, some unidentified public servants of BCAS and others.

On May 5, the CBI filed the second FIR against Rai alleging that he took money from a Mumbai-based real estate company to settle an issue with income tax and adverse media reporting.

Rai is also accused of using false information to obtain a pass to access sensitive areas in airports across the country and is alleged to have committed the offence in connivance with the officials of aviation company Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd and some public servants of BCAS.

In its investigation, the CBI has found that in 2017, Rai’s bank accounts show credit of Rs 79 crore with several transactions of over Rs 1 lakh each while in the same period the accounts reflect debit amount of Rs 78.51 crore.